Colin's posts

Jake nodded in response.

"Thanks, Mira." he said to her.

"Come on." he told Lindsay.

Lindsay nodded tentatively, and they made their way inside. On their way, they passed a few people, but he heard Jake stop any attempts at conversation beyond 'hey', citing time was of the essence.

Within a few minutes, they reached the med wing, and Jake looked around, searching for someone.

"Angela?" he called out, though he kept his voice a little quiet.

"Got an emergency here!" he added.

Aly was silent for a moment, before looking shocked.

"Oh... my..." she said quietly.

"I'm... heh..." she then chuckled. "I never thought I would meet an elder dragon like this." she admitted, before composing herself a little more.

"Friday at 7 works for me." she told him.

"Where do you want to meet?" she asked, before taking her other hand and gently placing it atop Eke's hand, effectively cupping it with both of hers.

Jake caught the coin, and made his way over towards Lindsay and Anna.

"All right." he said.

"See you later, Anya." he told her.

With that, he used the coin, and the three of them disappeared from where they were, appearing in the security landing that connected to the Unit.

"Mira." Jake said upon seeing the guard.

"Time is of the essence. The girl is dying." he told her.

"Verify it's me, and trust me when I say these kids need help."

"Anna!" Lindsay called out, rushing over towards her.

"....listen to us, please." Jake said to him.

"If you want her to live, we can help." he told the boy. "But you need to trust us. You need to let us take her to a medic." he went on.

"...fine." Lindsay replied after a pause.

"If only because I have no options." he added, resistance in his tone.

"Let's go, then." Jake commented.

"....ah, yes." Jake said.

"Listen." he then said to Anna.

"You're sick. It's obvious. And it's clear that you're getting worse and worse." he continued.

"Please, let us help you." he went on.

"We know a medic that's a miracle worker." he informed them.

"Please. Help us help you."

Jake looked off to the side, his head heavy and his eyes sunken in a little now.

"....my time with Vanessa was the worst in my life." he said.

"She took advantage of me in my time of need. She seemed nice. She seemed sincere. But when I was brought to her hideout... her tendrils seeped into me." he told them.

"The physical abuse... the strain... it was never enough for her. She would have run me into the ground and then buried me when I was used up." he continued. "...actually, she probably would have just left me to rot." he went on.

"I managed to shed myself of her control... and then I ran, never looking back." he continued, seemingly just talking aloud now, getting things off his chest, bearing his soul to them.

"...but I'll never be rid of the mark she left on me..."

A flurry of different emotions raced through Aly, and it showed.

She was still a bit sad, then flattered, then embarrassed, then happy, but it ended on confusion.

"I... uh.... what?" she asked, shaking her head.

"I... would love to go on a date with you." she told him.

"But... using you for your name? You mean Eke?" she asked him further.

"Or... do you mean your family name? Because I don't know what it is." she admitted, Eke being able to tell she was sincere in that.

Aly was shocked.

Stunned.

Her eyes had a look of genuine sadness to them, and she looked ready to cry.

"Oh, you poor thing..." she said.

"That's... just not right..." she said further.

"This world... really isn't fair..." she mumbled, looking away.

"I'm so sorry I brought it up. You must think terribly of me right now." he went on, sounding immensely guilty.

Aly's expression immediately looked concerned.

"A condition?" she asked.

"Oh, no... what is it?" she asked him.

"People like you shouldn't have problems like conditions and such." she then went on, looking away as well.

"Bad things shouldn't happen to nice people."

Lindsay just growled.

"Adults want to control us. They want us to do whatever they want." he said.

"Just like Miss Vanessa." he said further.

Upon hearing that, Jake froze.

"Vanessa...?" he asked. "Control...?" he asked further.

"Are... are you talking about Vanessa Encrae?" he then inquired.

Lindsay seemed to freeze and cower a bit when he heard the name, and just looked away.

Jake was reeling from the fireball earlier, but looked at Anna rather stoically, though there was obvious concern in his eyes.

"They're here to take us away!" Lindsay exclaimed.

"Take us back!" he said further.

"No! That's not it!" Jake responded quickly. "We were sent here to find out about you two, and then try and help you!" he told them.

"LIES!" Lindsay yelled.

"Adults lie! Adults hate us!" he insisted, tears forming in his eyes, even though they were clearly filled with anger.

"Adults want to control us!"

"Oh... all right." Aly responded.

"So what kind of coffee are you getting?" she asked him.

"I like mine sweet." she said. "I put sugar and some caramel drizzle in it." she went on.

"Sometimes I just get a mocha with whipped cream on it." she then said further.

"What about you?"

"......" Lindsay was silent in response, which was some form of progress. At least he wasn't shouting at her any longer.

"I..." he then stammered. "Well, I..." he started to say further, before suddenly pausing.

"Wait." he said.

"Wait, where's the other one?" he asked her. "Where's the man?" he asked further, narrowing his eyes accusingly... but before she could answer, they became as big as saucers.

"Anna!" he yelled.

"This was all just to distract me!" he shouted, before he turned and bolted down a hallway.

Meanwhile, Jake had reached where Anna was, and was NOT happy with what he saw.

"....you poor thing." he said quietly to the seemingly unconscious girl.

"......yes." the boy admitted.

"I would." he said.

"But how do I know you're not lying to me?" he asked.

"The people of this city already don't like us. How do I know that you're not sent here by them to get rid of us?" he asked her further.

".....are you?" he then suddenly inquired, sounding a little more vulnerable now.

'...woah.' Jake thought upon seeing the wilting and withering flora.

'I've... never seen anything quite like THIS before...' he thought further, as he continued to slowly step inside.

He then focused his sense of smell to the only other figure that was in the room, and tried to see through the thick vegetation to find out who or what it was.